In the end, the impact of the two-hour show went beyond Fathia’s expectation. “It was much more human and when you touch the human it affects everyone,” she said.
Speaking on the programme, Olivier Nishirimberé from Burundi enthused: “I’m thankful to the AIPS for this programme which allowed me to take my first flight out from home.” This revelation reached and touched the 2.5 millions listeners of Radio 2M’s morning show, which combines entertainment and information.
“We have received messages from some of our listeners, who have seen themselves through Olivier, saying that they hope one day to have this kind of opportunity,” she said. “Talking about the internship, travelling, it seems very difficult for many young people to get. Benefiting from this programme, Olivier has given hope to many young people through his nice message and it was amazing,” Elaouni added.
Radio 2M is more than convinced that the show with the young reporters has been its best yet since the start of the African Games. “Since the beginning of the Games, we have been receiving journalists every day to talk about the different sports so that listeners can learn more. Our objective through this initiative is to popularize the sport in order to make it accessible to all young people,” she explained.
But the one with AIPS Young Reporters was definitely the most powerful. “When we listened in the morning, we felt the bonds that had been forged between them. And when you bring people together from different countries but from the same continent, you feel the human being. We felt the notion of sharing that has been created through this initiative and we wanted to support this because it’s rare,” she said.
Launched in 2011 by AIPS, the Young Reporters Programme is an opportunity for young journalists from around the world to deepen their knowledge on storytelling and experience coverage of major sports events, in order to be high-level professionals. The programme is making its debut appearance in Africa at the 12th African Games in Rabat – an exceptional fact that has made it an attraction at the Games.
Thanks to Radio 2M, the Moroccan public has also been able to discover the work these young journalists have been doing since the beginning of the Games. One by one, the 10 young reporters from eight African countries (Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia), shared their feelings and thoughts about the AIPS programme. A programme unanimously praised by all for its informative and practical nature. “We came here as young journalists, but the training we received made us realize that we still have a lot to learn to be among the best,” Sandrine Zougouri from Burkina Faso said.
Preparation, questioning, doubt, are some of the key elements the young reporters have learned from this programme, and which they always focus on to write interesting stories.
